For Project Soul, Soulcalibur IV was deeply flawed. The developers admitted it to me. During a closed door meeting at E3, the developers said they didn’t like how their Critical Finish system upset the balance of the game. Players focused… Continue Reading →

For Project Soul, Soulcalibur IV was deeply flawed. The developers admitted it to me. During a closed door meeting at E3, the developers said they didn’t like how their Critical Finish system upset the balance of the game. Players focused too much on the devastating blow rather than the other aspects of the fighting system.

From the sound of it, they’re seeking some redemption with Soulcalibur V. They’re treating the latest entry to the series as a complete reworking of the franchise complete with a new engine and an overhaul to the cast of characters.

Initially, Project Soul wanted to do a whole new group, but the developers settled on a mix of old favorites and fresh faces. This time around, Soulcalibur V focuses on two characters — Pyrrha and Patroklos, the daughter and son of Sophitia, respectively. The two were separated as children and grew up not knowing of each other. Early on, Pyrrha was kidnapped by Tira, the character with the circular sword, and raised by the Soul Edge-aligned fighter. Meanwhile, Patroklos grew up with Sophitia. (For thsoe who read those old Jademan comics as a kid, the whole drama reminds me of the early story in Force of Buddha’s Palm.)

OLD FAVORITES ARE OLDER: The events of Soulcalibur V begin with these two siblings as adults. They’re playable characters. It also happens to be 17 years later and that means the returning cast has changed drastically. I only got to see Mitsurugi and Siegfried, but their looks and move sets are different.

Project Soul says both older characters have had years to perfect their skills and return as more polished fighters. That translates to familiar attacks with twists in them. A flipping attack may have an added flourish. Pokes and jabs may be altered slightly. Fundamentally, the controls are the same. The move sets have just matured and reflect characters who have mastered their styles.

NEW CHARACTERS: On the other hand, the new class will mostly be young. The whole roster will feature 20 to 30 characters, including an unnamed guest fighter or fighters. It’s been sort of a tradition for Project Soul to include heroes who aren’t exactly part of the historical universe. Adding Star Wars characters was the most random crossover of all time.

The emphasis on new fighters comes in part from the developers’ urge to give players something new. This is an overhaul of the series and a chance for the team to fix some problems from the earlier game.

For inspiration, they looked to the past at older titles. Instead of the Critical Finish, they’re introducing a meter and special attack that gives players a “tactical advantage.” It’s a strike that’s not as devstating as the finish move from Soulcalibur IV, but it’s expected to be effective just as long as you time your swing properly.

They’re also focusing on fundamentals, on how to block, execute a special move. They want to improve the competition ie. make it more balanced, but at the same time, they want to make sure that the sequel satisfies the hard-core audience and doesn’t alienate them too much with drastic changes. They’re the people who learn the fighting game and discover its flaws and strengths.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Project Soul says the keywords guiding the project is that they want to create a fighter that’s lighter, more elegant, faster-paced and responsive. From the sound of it, they seem to be taking great pains at it. They’re even planning to make regular updates after listening to user feedback and tweak the game based on the competition out there.

But the big thing is that the team wants the fighting game to evolve. Suffice to say, it’s been stagnant over the past few years, and no entry has stood out to me as much asSoulcalibur on the Dreamcast. It’s still hands down one of the best console fighters I’ve ever played.

And from what I saw, Project Soul is on the right track with Soulcalibur V, scheduled for release in 2012. They’re taking great pains to build up new assets, draw fresh character models and redesign the sets. But if the team can pull it off, they could be on their way to their best entry to the series in years.

In the not-surprising department, NamcoBandai announced that Soulcalibur IV will be getting new downloadable content. As for what it is, it’s nothing that you haven’t played already. Darth Vader and Yoda are now available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox… Continue Reading →

In the not-surprising department, NamcoBandai announced that Soulcalibur IV will be getting new downloadable content. As for what it is, it’s nothing that you haven’t played already. Darth Vader and Yoda are now available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Apparently, the magic character exclusivity apparatus has gone down.

Now, players are free to have their dream matchup: Yoda vs. Vader. We all know how this is going to end. Vader is going to punt Yoda all over the map.

Anyway, the DLC will be available Oct. 23. on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network for 400 Microsoft Points and $4.99, respectively.

So I’ve been pretty skeptical about these Star Wars characters in Soulcalibur. Frankly, they don’t make much sense and are pretty much fan service for those geeks out there. Well now, Soulcalibur is getting more Star Wars nerdness with the… Continue Reading →

So I’ve been pretty skeptical about these Star Wars characters in Soulcalibur. Frankly, they don’t make much sense and are pretty much fan service for those geeks out there. Well now, Soulcalibur is getting more Star Wars nerdness with the addition of Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice from the upcoming Star Wars: Force Unleashed title. I’m sure Yoda is quitting in his tiny boots (well, if Yoda wore boots).